Court Fines Perm School Headmaster for Using Unlicensed Software

PERM. May 7 (Interfax) – The Vereshchaginsky District Court in Perm territory has fined Alexander Ponosov, the headmaster of Sepych secondary school, 5,000 rubles for using unlicensed computer software.

It also estimated the damage caused to Microsoft at over 202,000 rubles.

After the announcement of the verdict on Monday Ponosov told the press that he would likely challenge the verdict at higher instances. “I disagree with the verdict,” he said.

Prosecutor Natalia Kurdoyakova told Interfax that the prosecution was broadly satisfied with the sentence.

“Our only dissatisfaction is the size of the damage,” she said, adding that the court slashed it from 254,000 to 202,000 rubles.

“After examining the sentence it will be decided whether to appeal it or not,” she said.

Kurdoyakova said that 266 cases of violation of copyright laws were opened in Perm territory and that in some of them headmasters and school teaches were charged.

The fact that unlicensed Widows software was installed in all computers in the Sepych village school had been established during an inspection launched by prosecutors. The damage was estimated at over 250,000 rubles.

A criminal case of large-scale violation of copyright law was opened.

On February 15 the Vereshchaginsky District Court ruled to close Ponosov’s case, citing its insignificance. Both sides protested the ruling.

At the end of March the Perm Territorial Court overturned the ruling of the district court and sent the case back for retrial, which began last Thursday.

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